Director Shareholding

British American Tobacco PLC
25 May 2005

DIRECTORS' INTERESTS

The independent trustee of the British American Tobacco Group Employee Trust
notified the Company on 23 May 2005 that it had on 19 May 2005 released:

a)   18,615 British American Tobacco p.l.c. 25p ordinary shares (the "Shares") 
     to participants in the British American Tobacco Long Term Incentive Plan; 
     and

b)   25,854 British American Tobacco p.l.c. 25p ordinary Shares (the "Shares") 
     to satisfy the exercise of options under the Company's share option scheme.

The participants to whom shares were released are not directors of British
American Tobacco p.l.c.

Following these transactions, the independent trustee of the British American
Tobacco Group Employee Trust holds a total of 25,014,532 Shares.  The following
executive directors, together with other employees, are potential beneficiaries
and are therefore treated as having an interest: Mr P N Adams, Mr P A Rayner and
Mr A Monteiro de Castro.


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